How does phosphorus cause algae blooms?
Aquatic plant growth is limited by the availability of phosphorus. When suspended soil particles containing phosphorus adhering to their surfaces enter a lake, the phosphorus stimulates algae and other aquatic plants to grow. When the inorganic phosphorus supply is depleted by its conversion into biomass the bloom ends. When the aquatic biomass dies it stimulates the rapdi growth of microbes that degrade the residue. These microbes require oxygen and rob water of dissolve oxygen (hypoxia 1 = lack of oxygen) needed by aquatic fauna such as fish, causing them to die. The build up of nutrients in aquatic systems is called eutrophication 1.
